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Egerton MS 1781

Record Id:

032-001982684

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-001982684

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000000053.0x0000ce

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Egerton MS 1781

Title:

Translations of religious and epic texts, dindshenchas and other historical material

Scope & Content:

A collection of texts including religious tracts, saints' Lives, epics and historical material.

A detailed catalogue description is provided by O'Grady and Flower, Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts, I, pp. 526-45.

Contents:

ff. 1r-2r: Legend of the invention of the Holy Cross. Begins imperfectly.

ff. 2r-18v: Stair Fortibrais. An Irish adaptation of Fierabras.

f. 18v: Prologue to Gabháltus Séarluis Mhóir added by a later hand.

ff. 19r-36v: Gabháltus Séarluis Mhóir. An Irish version of the Historia Caroli Magni.

ff. 36v-37v: A list of tributes and stipends in the provinces of Connaught, Aileach, Tara and Ulster. With the exception of Connaught, the text agrees with Lebor na gCert.

ff. 38r-41r: Collection of statements on the Passion of Christ from various authors, including St Bernard of Clairvaux, Ambrose, Augustine and Petrus Comestor.

ff. 41v-43r: Passion of James Intercisus from the Golden Legend.

ff. 43r-44r: Passion of St Juliana of Nicomedia.

ff. 44r-45r: Passion of St Alexius.

ff. 45r-48r: Passion of St Cyricus and St Julitta.

ff. 48r-49r: Life of St Catharine of Alexandria.

ff. 49v-53v: Life of St Margaret. Omits the prologue, the reference to Theotimus and inserts some poems. It seems to be an attempt to present the Saint's life as a vernacular romance.

ff. 53v-55r: Form of confession translated from the Latin text found in Dublin, Trinity College, MS 667. Begins 'A oide et a athair inmuin innsim mo dair do Dia'.

f. 55r: The twelve articles of Faith.

ff. 55r-56r: Tract on the Eucharist. The conclusion suggests that it was taken from a longer work: 'Finit do caibidil sin' (f. 56r).

ff. 56r-v: Tract on administering the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Possibly from the same work as the previous item.

f. 56v: Tract on the miracles of Christ's body in the Eucharist with analogies from the natural world.

ff. 57r-75v: Adaptation of Pope Innocent III's De Conemptu Mundi. Some passages are missing or expanded.

f. 75v: Dindshenchas of Loch Cé, Magh nDumach and Cnuacha. Dindshenacas of Cnuacha I is in full, but only some of the prose opening of Cnuaha II is found. Imperfect.

ff. 76v-86v: Fragmentary copy of the Biblical history in the Leabhar Breac with which it agrees closely until the account of Zacharias' death. Begins 'Ochtauin Augaist ba hairdrigh an domain an tan rogeinir Crist'.

ff. 86v: 'Rodhet a n-inis finn Fail': A faulty copy of the poem written in a blank column by William O'Hara.

ff. 87r-128r: Togail na Tebe.

f. 128r: Extended scribal colophon giving the scribe's name, place of writing, date, and deaths and events which happened that year (1487).

f. 128v: 'Buaidh n-espuic ar Ardachad': Poem on the qualities and descent of Cormac Mag Samradháin, Bishop of Ardagh.

Leaves lost between f. 128 and f. 129?

ff. 129r-146v: Eachtra Shóin Mandavil: Irish translation of The Buke of John Maundeville. Imperfect.

ff. 147r-149v: Leigheas Coise Chéin meic Mhaeilmuaid meic Bhrain.

ff. 149v-150r: The story of the abbot Drimnagh.

f. 150r: Story of King David and the beggar.

ff. 150v-151r: Later, shorter recension of Tochmarc Becfola.

ff. 151r-152r: Irish version of the letter of Prester John.

ff. 152r-v: Moral statements, most of which are found in Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 24 P. 25, f. 33v: on three things that lead to Hell and three that lead to Heaven; on hypocrisy; on piety, on a repentant life; on four things that prevent a holy life; on three things that lead people towards Heaven; on faith in God.

ff. 152v-153v: Dá apstol décc na hÉireann.

ff. 154r-v: List of contents. The recto is badly faded and difficult to read with confidence. The verso is legible and reveals that some items are lost and the manuscript is missing a number of folios.

ff. 154v-156v: An exposition on St Thomas Aquinas's sixteen conditions necessary for a good confession.

Decorations:

Crosses in some margins, occasionally decorated with. Letters (and notation[ceann fé eite]?) highlighted in red. Line fillers in red.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Egerton Manuscripts

Hierarchy Tree:

[{ "id" : "032-001982684", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Egerton MS 1781: Translations of religious and epic texts, dindshenchas and other historical material" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-001982684

Is part of:

not applicable

Hierarchy:

032-001982684

Container:

not applicable

Record Type (Level):

Fonds

Extent:

1 volume

Digitised Content:

Languages:

Irish
Latin

Scripts:

Greek
Latin

Start Date:

1479

End Date:

1492

Date Range:

c. 1484-1487

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript

Physical Characteristics:

Material: Parchment.

Dimensions: 225 x 160mm (written area 200x 120mm; written in double columns at ff. 18v-30v, 32r-34v, 36r-38v, 40r-v, 42r-45v, 47r-128r, 129r-131r, 133r-140v, 142r-143v, 145r-153v, 154v).

Foliation: ff. 156 (+ 7 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 7 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the end). A number of leaves of irregular size and shape are part of the original manuscript. Their shape is not the result of later damage as the scribes wrote within the current boundaries.

Script: Gaelic.

Binding: Post-1600: Black leather, tooled in gold, with the Bridgewater arms gold-stamped on the upper and lower covers; marbled endpapers.

Custodial History:

Origin:

Ireland (at least partly in the barony of Tullyhaw, Co. Cavan. Some parts of the manuscript may have been written in Co. Offaly.

Diarmaid bacach Mac Parrthaláin and an anonymous scribe: A colophon by the anonymous scribe gives the location as the house of Neill hÍ Shiaghaill. Possibly in Ballysheil, Co. Offaly, where the head of the O'Shiel family lived (f. 105r). The date 1484 is given by the same hand in a different colophon (f. 49r). Diarmaid bacach Mac Parrthaláin identifies himself in a colophon in which he claims to be working in the barony of Tullyhaw, Co. Cavan in 1487 (f. 128r). The hands are of the same type and it is possible that the scribes were of the same family.

Provenance:

Brian Ó Ruairc: the manuscript was in the possession of the Ó Ruaircs of Leitrim by the 16th century. A colophon asks for a blessing on Brian Ó Ruairc for whom the content of the page was written: 'Bendacht leissin donti dar sgribad in clarsa .i. Brian Ua Ruairc' (f. 154v). In the same colophon the scribe identifies himself as Brian Ó Maoilchonaire and gives his location as Baile Nua (but where is this?). He also mention Cluain Plocáin, suggesting that he was a member of the Ó Maoilchonaire family of historians and poets whose main seat was at Cluain Plocáin. Brian Ó Ruairc has signed his own name at f. 104v and f. 137v. A Sebraidh Ó Ruairc writes his name at f. 18v.

Maghnus óg Ó Cuirnín: wrote a note in the manuscript (17th-cent. hand?) offering his blessing if he is blessed in turn, and curses life.

William O'Hara: ownership inscriptions with the date 1805 (ff. 47r, 74v). He also wrote a poem in a blank column (f. 86v).

William Monck Mason: sold along with other items from his library at Sotheby's in 1858. Egerton MS 1781 was lot number 552 and was purchased for £64.0.0.

Publications:

Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the British Museum, ed. by Standish Hayes O'Grady (vol. I) and Robin Flower (vol. II), 2 vols (London: British Museum, 1926; repr. 1992), ii, 526-45.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Names:

Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot of Clairvaux, ?1090-1153,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000120962264,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/59875293
Charlemagne, of France
Emperors of Eastern Empire
Flann Fion, King of Northumbria, alias Alfrith, fl 685-705
Innocent III, Pope, 1160/61-1216,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000122769169,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/16017787
Jacob, Saint, of Persia
James, Saint, the Less
Juliana, Saint, Nicomediensis; xiv. kal. Mart
MacGauran, Cormac, Bishop of Ardaugh
MacMahon, Fineen
MacPartholain, Dermot
Mandeville, John, legendary author,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000110299577,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/78770305
Prester John, legendary Eastern Christian king,
   see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000110299577,
   see also http://viaf.org/viaf/190763522

Places:

Santiago de Compostella, Spain
Thebes, Greece